Starbucks bagel lady & specifying order

[Jack]

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=67917

I wanted to run away to Fratching before I got myself into trouble there.

IMO this lady did nothing wrong except maybe get too upset over all this. Long story short, barista refused to take cust's order until she said butter, cheese, or neither and wouldn't accept just an order of a bagel. I don't know about anyone else but if I wanted something on my bagel I would order it and see no need to specify that I don't want anything on it because that's how bagels come. With nothing on them. So if I don't say to put anything on it there should be nothing on it. Shouldn't have to specify.

But that's not the whole of it. It wasn't a simple case of "Oh maybe 'plain' bagels really come with butter usually" or something.

Yesterday's breakfast-bagel tussle heated up when the barista told the prickly prof that he wouldn't serve her unless she specified whether she wanted a schmear of butter or cheese -- or neither.

God, that alliteration is cheesy. Anyway, by this point as far as I can tell from the article, she has repeated herself once at least, which should be enough to know that she doesn't want anything on the bagel. I'm imagining a standoff between "Just a bagel" and "Butter, cheese, or neither?" where really both parties are somewhat at fault for not getting over it and adapting. Overall though I feel that the barista is in the wrong for being such a damned scriptmonkey and demanding that the customer order it just so when it should be perfectly easy to understand.

[Plaidman]

I'm in agreement.

The clerk was an elitist jackass that has no concept of customer relations.

They lady wanted a plain fucking beagel. NOT HARD TO GET.

But he had to be rude, crude, demanding and demeaning of her by basicly forcing her to act like his monkey so she gets her beagle and he get's his paycheck.

I personally hope that Starbucks ether gets rid of him, or gives her some kind of gift card.

Not often I side with customers, but this wasn't justifed in anyway.

[Rageaholic]

I think this is mostly the professors fault. It sounds like she was being stuck up over something so trivial and stupid. Judging by the comments, she's a pain in the ass at other stores too. Sure, it was stupid and petty to refuse to serve her over word choice, but it's not like she wasn't being stupid and petty.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...y1UAOksmbjrBhI

[Plaidman]

It's the fact that the clerk REFUSED to serve her UNLESS she said it his way that is wrong.

It's freaking beagel. They've been plain for a long time.

When i go to McDonalds, I ask for a burger, and I get everything on it just becauses its expected.

A beagle is NOT expected to come with cheese, ham, butter, gold flakes, truffles etc.

If you go to a bar, do you have to go "I want Jack's Super duper mega heavy whisky, in a cold shotglass measuring five inches, with two 1 inch ice cubes?" for a shot of whiskey, or do you ask for a shot of jacks?

[Mikkel]

But when you start screaming at everyone in the shop until removed by the police, I'm sorry to say that you have dug your own grave.
Starbucks are silly, in my opinion, with the strange terminology they insist on, but if someone don't like it there are other places to get a cup of coffee and a bagel. To me it sound like she went there to make trouble.

[Red Panda]

Its a strong possibility that the worker is required by her employer to get a specific on the bagel and losing her job for this lady isn't the way she wants to take her life.

Even if the clerk's request is annoying the lady over reacted and has no idea how to function socially in society. Throwing a fit because a worker wants to make sure you get an order right is idiotic.

[Plaidman]

Its a strong possibility that the worker is required by her employer to get a specific on the bagel and losing her job for this lady isn't the way she wants to take her life.

Even if the clerk's request is annoying the lady over reacted and has no idea how to function socially in society. Throwing a fit because a worker wants to make sure you get an order right is idiotic.

Throwing a fit, because a clerk refused to take your order unless you did it exactly as they want it, is not idoitic.

It's a beagle. You enter BEAGEL. You get a fucking BEAGEL, you give beagel to customer in exchange for money. WOW. Was that hard?
If afterwards, the customer wanted butter/cheese (and unlikely given how she asked for it. I always had to ask for cheese/butter/creamcheese anyway at every starbucks I've been too), then you add the butter/cheese/creamcheese.

[draggar]

It's a beagle. You enter BEAGEL. You get a fucking BEAGEL, you give beagel to customer in exchange for money. WOW. Was that hard?

Poor Porthos being manhandled like that.

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

People would be surprised at how strict policies can be with things like this.

An example:

AT&T got busted by Apple for breach of contract.

In the contract for exclusive rights to the iPhone, AT&T agreed that all their employees would offer every customer the iPhone first, before anything else. They got mystery shopped and several stores failed.

"Hi, I'd like to check my bill?"
"Would you like to purchase an iPhone?"

"Hi, I'd like to pay my bill"
"Would you like to purchase an iPhone?"

"Hi, I'd like to buy a car charger for this phone I just purchased yesterday"
"Would you like to buy an iPhone?"

"Hi, I'd like to cancel my service since it sucks, there's nocoverage where I live or work, and I'm moving to the French Alps"
"Would you like to buy an iPhone?"

Now, I bet Starbucks doesn't have some deal with the butter and cream cheese cartel but it wouldn't surprise me if corporate made them do this, especially if there's an extra charge for the add-ons (high profit items).

Simple way around it:

"I'd like a bagel"
"Would you like butter, cheese, or neither?"
"Just a bagel"
"So neither on the bagel?"

Done!!

[Mikkel]

Throwing a fit because the clerk want to be sure of the order is stupid and she apparently had made trouble before because of her dislike of Starbucks silly venti, grande, tall and short terminology.
Why didn't she just go somewhere else instead of making a scene? That's what I would have done. It's not as if Starbucks are the only place you can get a bagel and a cup of coffee on Manhattan.

[Plaidman]

Let it happen to you guys. See how quick you change your tone when the clerk refuses to take any order from you unless it's exactly how they want to hear it without any tips.

You: I want a beagle with cheese.
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: ... I want a cheese beagle....?
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: I just want a cheese beagle!
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: Cheese beagle with nothing on it!
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: Cheese Beagle. A beagle with just cheese!
Them: Sorry, retry.

Ad infinite, untell you tell them "May I have a Cheese covered heated plain beagel, please"


The first and last parts are important, because in our socity where people must do everything nice, it's a matter of time before those are implanted too. You don't say it exact, your never going to get it period.
I read one line and I knew what she wanted. A plain multigrain beagle. WOW. And I wasn't even there.

[AdminAssistant]

It's not as if Starbucks are the only place you can get a bagel and a cup of coffee on Manhattan.

She's in the city with the best bagels in the freakin' world and she's going to Starbucks???? That proves right there that the woman's an idiot.

[Red Panda]

Let it happen to you guys. See how quick you change your tone when the clerk refuses to take any order from you unless it's exactly how they want to hear it without any tips.

You: I want a beagle with cheese.
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: ... I want a cheese beagle....?
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: I just want a cheese beagle!
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: Cheese beagle with nothing on it!
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: Cheese Beagle. A beagle with just cheese!
Them: Sorry, retry.

Ad infinite, untell you tell them "May I have a Cheese covered heated plain beagel, please"


The first and last parts are important, because in our socity where people must do everything nice, it's a matter of time before those are implanted too. You don't say it exact, your never going to get it period.
I read one line and I knew what she wanted. A plain multigrain beagle. WOW. And I wasn't even there.

Or more simply

You: I want a bagel
Them: Do you want cream cheese or butter?
You: Neither
Them: Okay

And by golly it doesn't involve throwing a fit or violence or anything.

I know logic is hard for you, as is only sticking to the topic at hand, but try maybe carry a video camera with you to some stores sometime. You can study the tape and see people oppurate in the real world and try that instead of assuming that people live in some crazy extremist world where everybody acts as far in a certain direction as possible.

[Plaidman]

Or more simply

You: I want a bagel
Them: Do you want cream cheese or butter?
You: Neither
Them: Okay

And by golly it doesn't involve throwing a fit or violence or anything.

I know logic is hard for you, as is only sticking to the topic at hand, but try maybe carry a video camera with you to some stores sometime. You can study the tape and see people oppurate in the real world and try that instead of assuming that people live in some crazy extremist world where everybody acts as far in a certain direction as possible.

I've worked a very long time with people. I know how they act better then you think. Try having shotguns shoved in your throat. Try having to fight to live just because some asshole wants beer past legal hours. Try calling a police line only to get a busy signal. Try having a outragous amount of scum and assholes that abuse you, and in a few cases assulted me, for daring to ask for their ID. People act like assholes because they love to treat others like shit and no-one dares to punish them or you know, ask them to act like decent people.

And the starbucks happened as such

Lady: toasted multigrain bagel
Starbucks: Cheese or butter?
Lady: Just a multigrain bagel.
Starbucks: You need to tell me.
Lady: I WANT A MULTIGRAIN BAGEL!
Starbucks: YOUR NOT GETTING IT UNTIL YOU TELL ME CHEESE OR BUTTER!


Seriously. After he asked the cheese or butter, and she said JUST a multigrain bagel, that should have been plain fucking instructions to understand, JUST a multigrain bagel with nothing on it.

[Rageaholic]

Let it happen to you guys. See how quick you change your tone when the clerk refuses to take any order from you unless it's exactly how they want to hear it without any tips.

You: I want a beagle with cheese.
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: ... I want a cheese beagle....?
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: I just want a cheese beagle!
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: Cheese beagle with nothing on it!
Them: Sorry, retry.
You: Cheese Beagle. A beagle with just cheese!
Them: Sorry, retry.

Ad infinite, untell you tell them "May I have a Cheese covered heated plain beagel, please"


The first and last parts are important, because in our socity where people must do everything nice, it's a matter of time before those are implanted too. You don't say it exact, your never going to get it period.
I read one line and I knew what she wanted. A plain multigrain beagle. WOW. And I wasn't even there.

If it went that way, than I would say the employee was being a douchebag. But from the article, all she had to say was neither. In that case, both parties were being petty and holding people up over a choice of words. If I was in line behind her, I would be pissed at both the employee and her (I now think the employee was equally to blame too, but he was probably sick of her pettiness).

I don't like suggestive selling and 20 questions, but neither do I like know it alls like that lady.

[Rebel]

Or more simply

You: I want a bagel
Them: Do you want cream cheese or butter?
You: Neither
Them: Okay

And by golly it doesn't involve throwing a fit or violence or anything.

I was gonna say the same thing.
All the barista is really trying to do is clarify exactly what you're ordering. If you feel that the barista should know that saying "a multigrain bagel" means you want it with no spread at all is stupid if the store in question automatically makes the bagel with a spread, unless specified otherwise. All she had to say was "no spread thank you" and she would have gotten her bagel. Instead she decided to scream at the cashier that she wanted "A MULTIGRAIN BAGEL!!!!". That right there made her a dick.

I visited my first Starbucks just last year (Western Australia hasn't advanced that far yet). When I went to order, I just wanted a medium cappuccino. Frankly, the ordering board confused me. So I simply asked the barista what I would have to order to get the cappuccino I desired. They helped me out, and I walked off happy and caffeinated.

If the lady from the original article was that annoyed by having to order in the way set out by the company and it's ordering board, she could have just gone somewhere else. Having a hissy fit in the middle of the store and cursing out the barista makes her very unsympathetic.

Her actions would be like walking into McDonalds and ordering a Whopper, then getting mad when the cashier tried to clarify if you really wanted a Big Mac.

And I thought college professors were supposed to be smart.